Doctor insights on:
Stage Four Throat Cancer Life Expectancy

1

Depends:
That depends on how advanced it is locally and if it has spread to other organs like the lungs. Also depends on overall health of the person. If this question refers to you, then please consider going to a cancer center that has experience in treating head and neck cancers (to find out if it is really inoperable and to hear about all treatment options and clinical trials).
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Cancer is a group of diseases that is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth leading to invasion of surrounding tissues that spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can begin anywhere in the body and is usually related to one or more genetic mutations that allow normal cells to become malignant by interfering with internal cellular control mechanisms, such as programmed cell death or by preventing repair of DNA damage.
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3

Depends:
It depends on what kind of throat cancer, the stage of the cancer, the hpv status if this is a mouth cancer, whether you are a smoker or not, what kind of therapy did you receive etc. The earlier the stage the better your life expectancy would be. The prognosis of hpv + associated mouth cancer , non smoker-would be better than hpv negative mouth cancer who smokes and drink alcohol. D/w with md.
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4

Llkely 20% 5yr life.:
The throat cancer may have a decent outlook, but an advanced stomach cancer where the disease has likely spread to the lymph nodes and is one step away from distant metastases has about a 20% 5 year survival at best. This is if the tumor is able to be resected. It is his choice, but it might be good for him to see his doctor to at least find out what can be done to make him comfortable.
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5

Quality of life:
Nobody can force you to comply. There are a variety of options in any case, including general physical conditioning and meds, as well as a less radical limited diet. Good choices are seldom the key to recovery from illness, and "pop"!advice I have seen online on bland diet looks hokey to me. Get with an evidence-based gastroenterologist or two.
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6

Not good :
Stage 4 any cancer is not good, some better than others. With head and neck cancers though unlike some others, cure is possible with aggressive mutimodality treatment. Usually without any treatment the tumor grows locally, cause local symptoms and metastasize to lymph nodes and distant organs. Consider at least palliative treatment, it can improve quality of life for some time. 6-24 months range.
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7

A new normal:
After successful treatment for throat cancer patients can have a lot of different symptoms both long term and short term. Dry mouth and dental problems are common, but can be treated. Swallowing difficulties are common. It may take a year to really see the "new normal" speech and swallowing therapy can help.
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8

Routine mouth exams:
In such a situation, one can get the HPV vaccine to prevent the more serious strains of sexually transmitted HPV virus. Of course, one cannot run to his doctor every time he has licked genitals, as that could mean going to the doctor every week. Therefore, routine exams 2-3 times a year with his dentist, and 1-2 times a year with his primary care doctor, are ok to do when he has no symptoms.
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10

No clear answer:
While cancer doesn't develop overnight, processes leading upto cancer can take years.
Here is a good overview on throat cancer
http://www.Cancer.Net/cancer-types/head-and-neck-cancer.
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The throat is a complicated area and is divided into several different areas including the vocal cords, the larynx, the glottis and supra-glottic areas. The cancers in these areas are usually of the squamous cell variety. The distinctions are important as they help to determine the type of therapy offered.
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